That is the perfect ending for BOD, the one we all wanted. He walks off into the international sunset with a second Six Nations title and another man of the match award under his arm. Goodbye to him and goodbye to you. I am off to get roaring drunk lie down – the best way to celebrate any sporting success. Thanks for all the emails, tweets and opinions. Ciao!

6.54pm GMT

IRELAND HAVE WON THE SIX NATIONS!

80 mins One last scrum. Ireland put in. Oh no! France steal the ball and push it forward! The clock ticks past 80 but Ireland drag the maul down. That must be it. It is! IRELAND HAVE DONE IT!

Updated at 6.58pm GMT

6.52pm GMT

78 mins France are awarded a penalty and kick for touch but it is a poor kick and and Kearney catches it before it goes out. But then Kearney’s subsequent kick finds its way back into French hands. The Blues work towards the Irish line on the right but Ireland hold them up a few meters out. They then move the ball out to the right and they have men over! They must score a try! They do via Chouly! This is heartbreak for Ireland. No wait. Hold on a moment. There looked to be a forward pass by Pape. The ref goes to the the TMO. There is an anxious wait.The replay shows it was. It has to be cancelled out. The TMO agrees. NO TRY!

Updated at 7.00pm GMT

6.47pm GMT

77 mins Ireland have the ball in hand and press forward. This close to a Six Nations title, they just need to slow down the play and hold onto the ball. I am almost too nervous to type now.

Updated at 6.47pm GMT

6.46pm GMT

75 mins A Madigan kick from the Irish half leads to an French lineout. They win that and get mauling. Cronin stops them momentarily but France pour forward once again. Ireland stop them once again and thanks to some good work on the ground they win a penalty. Madigan punts it to touch.

6.43pm GMT

73 mins France attack down the right but step a foot out of play and Ireland have the lineout. They form a maul from that. They ball is kicked long and France have it once more. They soon give it back. Madigan punts it high and long into French territory.

6.40pm GMT

70 mins It’s a scrum to Ireland but France wheel them around and win a penalty about 30 yards out just to the left of the posts. Doussain, who has come on as sub, steps up. AND HE MISSES IT! Hope for Ireland still.

6.38pm GMT

69 mins Madigan comes on to replace Sexton – who is carried off on a stretcher. Can Madigan cope with this? Let’s bloody well hope so.

6.35pm GMT

68 mins Scrum to France just around the half-way line. Ireland disrupt it but France win a penalty. It’s kicked to the Irish 22. France win the lineout and press forward but then the ball goes forward and Ireland have possession. But there is bad news, Sexton looks to be out cold after Bastareaud landed on top of him. Elsewhere ...

66 mins Henderson has replaced O’Mahony, McFadden does the same for D’Arcy and Reddan comes on for Murray. For France, Vahaamahina replaces Picamoles.

Updated at 6.33pm GMT

6.30pm GMT

64 mins Back to that try for a second. Replays show that there might have been a knock on in by the French and it wasn’t even clear that ball was touched down. Nonetheless a try was given.

Updated at 6.32pm GMT

6.29pm GMT

Try! France 20-22 Ireland (Szarzewski; Con Machenaud)

63 mins But they can only hold them back for so long. A succession of French players drive towards the line but it is Szarzewski who does the final damage at the base of the posts. Machenaud adds the two points.

Updated at 6.30pm GMT

6.27pm GMT

62 mins France continue to attack. Chouly has the ball in the corner, he pushes a bunch of Irish players back. France have a penalty. They need it as their cross-field kick goes nowhere. France opt for the penalty lineout. Ireland drive them back.

60 mins Huget does some fancy foot work and leaves BOD on his arse. He offloads to Medard who breaks down the right. Ireland must do some illegal tackling to stop him. France get a penalty. They are in the Ireland 22 now, passing from side to side. A good tackle from Sexton slows them down a touch.

6.22pm GMT

58 mins “Evening Ian” cheers Simon McMahon. “An Ireland win tonight would be a fitting end to a wonderful career. If O’Driscoll was Scottish then I reckon we would have won 5, or possibly even 6, of our last 100 internationals, rather than just 3. He’s that good.” Correct.

6.20pm GMT

55 mins Lineout to Ireland. All 10 feet of Toner takes it and Murray breaks on the blindside. Sexton cross-fields one right into the hands of Dulin, under pressure from Kearney and Trimble. The home side break forward but the move breaks down when Huget, I think, fails to get the ball into the hands of Bastareaud.

6.16pm GMT

Penalty! France 13-22 Ireland (Sexton)

52 mins ... he takes his time and slots it over.

Updated at 6.20pm GMT

6.15pm GMT

50 mins Ireland win a lineout on the French 22 after France held on too long and gave away a penalty after some illegal stuff by Maestri. They also win that and they win another penalty. Winning. Sexton steps up. He is 22 yards out ...

Updated at 6.16pm GMT

6.12pm GMT

Try! France 13-19 Ireland (Sexton; Con Sexton)

48 mins Oh what a reply this is from Ireland. Under so much pressure from France they run the ball out of defence. Trimble does most of the work running the ball up the field on the right and shrugging off a few tackles. About 10 meters out from the French line he offloads to BOD who drags the ball forward a few more meters before being dragged down. The ball is recycled into the hands of Sexton by Murray and he touches down. He also converts.

Updated at 7.07pm GMT

6.09pm GMT

47 mins Ireland have been under some severe French pressure for the last few minutes and only a try-saving pick-up and clearance from Rob Kearney – he is OK now – that took place just in front of his line stopped France from increasing their lead.

6.08pm GMT

45 mins Some housekeeping: Debaty replaced Domingo at half-time. A sensible move that from the French.

6.05pm GMT

44 mins France have the ball and they are looking dangerous. They run it down the middle and then move it into the centre. Luckily for the boys in green, France give away a penalty. Unluckily for the boys in green, Rob Kearney is limping.

42 mins Ireland win an early lineout and run the ball through the middle. It then goes out to the right but Bastareaud checks Sexton with an ankle tap. Ireland till have the ball but it is out on the opposite side now. Sexton chips it over and Fickou catches. France have the ball once again.

6.02pm GMT

40 mins We are back. O’Connell has just given the Irish lads a talking to on the pitch. It looked a bit like this.

Updated at 7.06pm GMT

5.50pm GMT

Half-time: France 13-12 Ireland

... AND HE MISSES, dragging the ball wide of the posts! But it was right in front of them? How did he miss that? It’s Jonny Sexton for goodness sakes. Oh lord. Anyway, I’ll be back in a few.

Updated at 5.51pm GMT

5.48pm GMT

40 mins France drag the scrum down and it’s a penalty to Ireland. The ref issues over Domingo a warning and it sounds like he is losing patience with the French front-row. Sexton kicks for a lineout. Ireland win it and the beat that is Heaslip finds some space. France, Domingo I think, then give away a penalty for playing Murray. Sexton steps up ...

5.45pm GMT

38 mins Ireland win a put into the scrum. “Out-fucking-standing!” screams O’Connell. Ireland play some nice hands from that as they work the ball to the right but they forward pass – seconds before France do the same – and so it is a scrum to Les Blues.

5.42pm GMT

36 mins Ireland won the subsequent lineout but knock the ball into French hands. They move the ball to the left and Ireland are forced to put their bodies on the line. The ball comes back to Tales in the pocket but his drop-goal effort is well, well wide. Mas is down and injured – he hyperextended his elbow. Slimani replaces him.

Updated at 5.42pm GMT

5.40pm GMT

34 mins Ireland win a lineout on the halfway and swing the ball out to the right. Some miscommunication between BOD and Trimble slows the move down. Ireland then move it to the right. The ball goes back to Sexton but his kick is too long and France take a mark. It’s back to the halfway we go.

5.37pm GMT

Try! France 13-12 Ireland (Dulin; Con Machenaud)

31 mins A penalty to France. Tales kicks from the halfway line to the corner. Ireland need to come out of this without conceding. France win the lineout and try to drive the maul over the line. Ireland are defending on their own line. There is an Irish player offside so France have a penalty. They don’t need it though as Tales’ cross kick to the corner is punched back to Dulin, by Huget, and the full-back crosses the line. Machenaud converts.

Try! France 6-12 Ireland (Trimble; Con Sexton)

25 mins A long, high kick from Murray is knocked on by Picamoles, who was under no pressure whatsoever. Ireland have the put into the scrum and it’s BOD time. He breaks through the French defence and offloads to Murray. The scrum-half zips inside, takes some French defenders with him and then spreads the ball out to Trimble, rushing through the middle. He dives over the line near the posts for the simplest of finishes. Sexton does not miss this time.

Updated at 5.58pm GMT

5.27pm GMT

23 mins Here comes the handbags.

5.26pm GMT

Try! France 6-5 Ireland (Sexton)

22 mins They are still five meters out. It looked like France would turn it over but Ireland stayed calm. Henry, on the ground, has a nice offload near the flag on the right and into the hands of Sexton the ball does. He dives over the line and Ireland have their first try. Sexton misses the kick.

19 mins Another scrum, another failure from both sides. Ireland win a penalty from the reset and Sexton kicks long to the France 22. Time for Ireland to bind and drive. They win the lineout and Murray breaks through the French defence. they work the ball out to the left wing and then back inside. They are five meters out.

5.21pm GMT

17 mins Steve Walsh, the referee, has just been cleaned out of it and is breathing heavy into the ref’s mic. “Wow! [I was] Smashed,” he says with a giggle.

5.19pm GMT

16 mins Ireland win the ball back from the restart and force France into a lineout, a few meters out from their line. O’Connell tackles Maestri in the air and France get the ball. They kick it long and Kearney, I think, catches. Ireland ease forward.

5.18pm GMT

Penalty! France 6-0 Ireland (Machenaud)

14 mins Machenaud gets his second of the game.

5.17pm GMT

14 mins It’s back and forth, back and forth but eventually France win a penalty, in front of the posts about 30 yards out after Kearney was punished for holding on.

Updated at 5.20pm GMT

5.15pm GMT

12 mins Ireland win a scrum. Thank the Lord. Domingo gives away a penalty at the next one. Sexton kicks it to touch on the half-way line. Lineout to Ireland. They win it with ease and run with the ball in hand. Sexton breaks past a few French jerseys. This is better. But wait. France win it back. No for for long though. Ireland now have it.

Updated at 5.15pm GMT

5.12pm GMT

9 mins “I’m by no means a rugby expert,” says non-rugby expert Mark Gillespie “so i couldn’t get into the debate about exactly how good BOD is or isn’t. However, the argument Uuelya is making is poor, as to agree with his logic would also mean you’d have to agree with statements such as “George Best was rubbish, Northern Ireland never qualified for a world cup”. Rating individual player talent by counting team medals is silly, doubly so in international competition.” Agreed.

8 mins France put into the scrum and wheel Ireland around. On the attack they go but Szarzewski knocks it on and the Irish can breathe a sigh of relief. France have been the better team so far and a different side to the version we have seen elsewhere in the Six Nations.

Updated at 5.57pm GMT

5.08pm GMT

6 mins Lineout to France. They win that through Chouly. The ball is swung out to the left but Fickou’s run is held up by the Irish defence. They switch sides. Ireland are fighting hard to get the ball back at the breakdown but they give away a scrum.

5.05pm GMT

4 mins Oh no, this is bad for the Irish. From a lineout on the right, France work the ball right and into the hands of Bastareaud. He bashes his way past the Irish centres but plays the ball forward on the Irish 22 and it’s a scrum to the away side. Ireland hold it well.

Updated at 5.06pm GMT

5.03pm GMT

Penalty! France 3-0 Ireland (Machenaud)

2 mins Machenaud slots the ball between the posts from the right and France take the lead.

Updated at 5.04pm GMT

5.02pm GMT

1 min And it is off we go. France do the honours. Trimble catches and the ball goes to Best and then Murray. He kicks long. Dulin gathers and runs. The French maul their way forward in the shape of Bastareaud. Ireland, Henry to be exact, eventually give away an early penalty.

Updated at 5.04pm GMT

5.00pm GMT

OK, the teams are out of the tunnel, on the pitch and it’s almost time to rock. I think I may be more nervous than all of the players, their families and their friends combined and multiplied by 50,000,000,000. Seems I am not the only one getting a severe bout of the stomach butterflies (see below). Luckily, D’Arcy’s beard is there to remind us that all everything will be OK.

We’re all meant to be sad that he’s retiring, we’re being told how he’s an all time great. No, he’s mediocre. The Southern Hemisphere nations produce a dozen players like him every year.

All time great? A single Grand Slam and a couple of World Cup Quarter Finals. Lol.

People will say he’s an all time great because he’s the most capped international player ever. That doesn’t prove he’s an all time great, it just proves that Irish Rugby hasn’t produced a player to replace a 35 year old journeyman.

Anyone else agree with that?

4.35pm GMT

Les Bleus have a fine home record against the visitors but they will need a big improvement on this season’s performances, reckons Paul Rees:

One of the game’s cliches is that no one ever knows which France will turn up on match day, the dashing or the dashed, but if Les Bleus are crowned the Six Nations champions on Saturday evening it will be one of the biggest turn-ups in the history of the tournament, and not just because they finished bottom last year.

France have fumbled their way through like a drunk in the dark trying to find a light switch in an unfamiliar house but, depending on how England get on in the first match of the day in Rome, a sufficiently ample victory over Ireland, opponents they have lost to five times since 1975, would maintain their record of winning the title the year after every Lions tour in the professional era.

It is highly unlikely, and not just because it would effectively require Italy to overcome the one team they have not beaten since their entry into the Six Nations 15 seasons ago. To paraphrase Graham Greene, before they are crowned champions there will have to be miracles. Beating Ireland would be a feat, never mind by the record margin that will probably be needed.

Key event

Unless you have been living on the Moon for the last few months, in a cave, with your eyes shut and your fingers in you ears, then you should know that this is going to be BOD’s last game fore Ireland. Earlier in the week, some of the more memorable moments from his career were cobbled together and hammer into a gallery. You can read all about them, as well as look at some pretty pictures, by clicking here. And just because we like you, here’s a sneak preview of one of them.

4.00pm GMT

Good afternoon

Ah Paris. La Ville-Lumière. The city of love. The city where you fall in love. The city you have to love. The tourist bustle of the Champs-Élysées. The ritzy shops on the Rue Saint Honoré. The spring sunshine splashed across the Jardin du Luxembourg. The over-prized beer in Les Deux Magots. The small bakery on Rue des Dames where you buy your morning croissant and the young man behind the counter does his best to speak English as an old women in plus fours and over-sized sunglasses smiles on, an empty leash in her left hand. The view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. The view from the bottom of Sacré Cœur. The ageless art of the Lourve. The small boutique in Montmartre that sold silk headscarves where you should have bought that bag you liked so much. The nightmare from which Ireland are trying to escape.

You know the figures, the stats and the dates by now, they’ve been tossed around like a salad. Before the victory in 2000 – that same one Brian O’Driscoll introduce himself as rugby’s next superstar with a most audacious hat-trick when he was aged just 21 – Ireland’s only ever Five/Six Nations win had come in 1972 in Colombes. That’s 42 years Einstein. But that is not even the worst of it. Since (Scrum.com’s) records began (in 1921) Ireland have picked up the same number of defeats as Jesus had years when he was baptised by John the Baptist. That’s 30. Let’s just repeat that figure, shall we? Thirty. Thirty. Thirty. Thirty. Thirty. Thirty. Jesus wept. Yeezus did too. “It’s definitely not a complex,” argued Rob Kearney when quizzed about Ireland’s frankly, frightful record in France. “It’s difficult to win over there because they’re a good team. You need to be on top of your game, not just for 40 minutes, but for a full 80. We were on top of our game for 40 minutes last time and then let it slip hugely. It’s by no means a complex, just when you play against quality teams, you have to play your best rugby.” He has a point. France have been one of the top teams in world rugby for quite some time now and regardless of the naked inconsistencies they continue to show away from home like a nudist on holiday – see this year’s match against Wales for further details – they are still a formidable team made of some tough stuff to come up against at home – see this this year’s match against England for further details.This Irish run of defeats is odd though, especially when you consider how the Irish provinces do when they touch down there. Take this season’s Heineken Cup for example. Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connacht have all made trips to France this season and not one of these sides has come out of the game as the loser. In fact, only one French team has managed to beat their Irish counterpart and that was Connacht at home to Toulouse.So why do the players from the four provinces struggle when they form like Voltron in Paris then?“It’s a much bigger task [than playing for the provinces],” opined Kearney. Sean Cronin agreed with his team-mate: “It’s Test rugby, it’s the highest level you can get.” But it must be a mental thing too for Joe Schmidt has brought in the sport psychologist, Enda McNulty, to help his side end the hoodoo. “I’m not smart enough to be a sports psychologist, so I rely on other people doing the mind fitness,” joked Schmidt. Do not believe him when he says he ain’t smart. He has put together cohesive (and largely successful) game stratagems throughout his short tenure in charge of the national side and he has, famously, some of the most meticulous managerial plans in rugby right now – to the point where some players know within an inch of where they should be at any given time on the pitch.Logically, Ireland should win this. They have Schmidt’s aforementioned meticulous preparation. They have been the best team in the Six Nations so far. They have been the most disciplined side, conceding just 27 penalties in the first four games. They have been the best ruckers, losing only 18 of 458 rucks they have contested. They have been the best at the lineout, with a mere four losses and a monstrous 57 ball wins. Rob Kearney has carried the ball more often than any other player and in Peter O’Mahony, Chris Henry and Jamie Heaslip, they have three of the top four turnover winners in their side. They have scored more tires than the rest and they have conceded fewer tries than the rest. But this is not logic. This is rugby, this is Paris and this is going to be nerve-wracking.